


Coincidence

by SherlockWolf



Category: Captain America (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee Shops, Gen, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6884251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockWolf/pseuds/SherlockWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky writes his memories in a notebook. It helps him get back to who he used to be. Most of those memories have to do with Steve. Steve, who is right there. Bucky doesn't know what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coincidence

    Bucky is sitting at a table tucked in the back corner of a Starbucks coffee house with a pen in his hand and his little black notebook open on the table in front of him. He’s staring down at it, absorbed in thought of how he wants to write out this particular memory. It’s not anything special like so many others; he and Steve are just playing catch in the park as kids. He wants to write down the details of how the sunlight made Steve’s hair look like gold and it made his heart flutter—still does—but the phrasing just isn’t there.

    Bucky looks up to take in his surroundings while he figures out what to write. The store is more crowded than the last time he checked, so he takes a moment to asses every person. There’s a mom with two little kids, their Queens accents begging her for some chocolate snack in the pastry case. A grumpy old man snaps at the woman to hurry up, and Bucky wishes he could step up and tell the old geezer to leave the family alone. The risk of blowing his cover is too great. Steve would’ve said something, though. Steve couldn’t handle bullying in any form.

    Bucky glances around the rest of the store. Most of them are business people, hurrying in and out to get their morning buzz. Some older folks are seated at the tables. An old gay couple is playing chess, sitting across the table from one another, arms reached out over the table with fingers entwined. Bucky imagines him and Steve in their seventies playing chess and his chest tightens painfully.

    Bucky looks back down at his notebook, swallowing down the lump that’s trying to form in his throat. He decides to throw the flowery language out the window and writes down the bare minimum facts of the memory. Then he reaches for his hot chocolate.

    It happens by pure chance, but Bucky catches a glimpse of gold hair in the sunlight, seated at the table across the room from him. A person stands in the way immediately, so Bucky watches and waits, holding his breath and begging himself not to hope.

    The person moves, and there he is. Steve Rogers is sitting in the same coffee shop as Bucky Barnes by pure coincidence. Bucky stares at him and takes in how tired he looks: the slack of his broad shoulders, the lines under his eyes, the blank yet defeated expression. Steve has a notebook on his own table, but his is closed. His eyes are focused on something out the window. He hasn’t noticed Bucky.

    He doesn’t know what to do. He feels a tug toward Steve, but he knows that if he reveals himself everything will get complicated. He’s not really ready for that, yet. He’s comfortable laying low. But Steve is gravitating. And he’s right there. And if Bucky were to just get up and speak to him, maybe they could play chess together and hold hands and just have each other again. Bucky wants that. He knows he does. Steve probably does too, considering their past. But there would be so much to do before they could be left in peace. As much as he wishes he could, Bucky can’t erase the Winter Soldier from history.

 _But. Steve. Is. Right. There._ His mind screams, begging for him to go to Steve. He closes his notebook without taking his eyes off of Steve. He takes his backpack in hand, shoves the notebook ungracefully into it, and grabs his cup. _Well,_ he thinks, _I guess I’m doing this._

    He’s across the room and seated across from Steve before he really has time to process pushing his way through the crowd. It’s almost comical the way Steve’s head turns as he snaps out of his thoughts, eyes widening as he sees who’s decided to sit at his table uninvited. Bucky sets his backpack on the floor and puts his cup on the table. Neither of them says anything for a good few minutes, just soaking in the presence of one another. Bucky starts feeling shy, which is a feeling he’s never really had to deal with in his life. Eventually he ducks his head and stares at his cup instead of Steve.

“Do you remember me?” Steve whispers, and Bucky nods.

“Yeah.” He grunts out, his voice scratchy from disuse. He chances an upward glance to find Steve smiling warmly at him.

“Okay. So…no rush, but,” Steve took a deep, steadying breath, “What do you need from me?”

“What I need from you?” He parroted, not sure how to answer.

“Yeah, like food or shelter, or getting your name cleared…” Steve offered.

    Bucky caught on. Steve thought Bucky was here for material stuff. For the details. It was kind of funny, in an offhand way. Of course Steve, the man who saved Bucky from Hydra twice, the man who promised him ‘ _til the end of the line_ , the man he loved, thought Bucky needed him for _the details._

    He couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Steve. I need _you_.”

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is based on this picture: http://suitfer.tumblr.com/post/143146654150/first-page-to-a-comic-ill-never-finish-ahh-bucky  
> Also I'm writing this with Steve in his undercover outfit from CA:TWS (baseball cap, hoodie) which will be relevant in the next chapter. Just so y'all know.


End file.
